Device for preventing seasickness.



PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905 mmozszv.

W scan/11m. DEVIUE FOR PREVENTING SEASIGKNESS.

APPLIOATION l-ILED 8EPT.27, 1901.

2 SHEETS-BREEZE 1.

PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905.

W. SUHMIDT. DEVICE FOR PREVENTING SEASIGKNESS.

AP PLIOA'I'ION IILED SEPT. 27, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. FHoTo-muocmmsns. wAsume on. u c,

VVILHELM SCHMIDT, OF VVILHELMSHOHE, NEAR (JASSEL, GERMANY.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING SEASICMNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed September 2'7, 1901. derial No, 76,771.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM SCHMIDT, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and a resident of IVilhelmshohe, near Cassel, German Empire, have invented a new and useful Device for Preventing Seasickncss, of which the following is an exact specification.

My invention relates to a device for preventing sea, car, and the like sicknesses, which are caused by the body being moved upward and downward; and it consists in the arrangement of seats, bottom-surfaces, cabins, or carrooms which do not follow the undulations of the ship, car, or the like.

My invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a cabin constructed according to my new invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the following specification my invention shall be described as applied to ships; but it will be understood that the same can just as well be used for cars, carriages, or the like.

In ships three movements arise which effect the seasickness of the passengers-that is to say, first, the oscillations around the longitudinal axis of the hull, so-called rolling; second, the oscillations around the cross-axis, the so-called pitching, and, third, the upand-down motion of the whole hull. The latter movement has proved to be the most disagreeable one and is avoided accordingto my invention in the following manner: A cabin, saloon, or a seat is arranged in that way that it is constantly carried or supported by steam or air pressure and is herewith perfectly independent from the movement of the hull. I attain this object by supporting the cabin upon a piston movable up and down in a cylinder, the length of which corresponds to the height of the waves to be expeeted that is to say, to the up-and-down motion of the ship hull. Now in case the cylinder, which is rigidly attached to the ship-hull, moves up and down the piston and the cabin, saloon, or the like supportedby. the same does not follow the movement of the cylinder, as a certain power would be necessary for effecting a movement of the mass carried by the piston that is to say, for overcoming the vis inertiae of the same. This work cannot be done by the steam-pressure exercised upon the piston, as this steam-pressure is only suflicient for supporting the whole mass. The piston will therefore during the up-and-down motion of the ship-hull rest in its absolute position and only change its position relative to the shiphull. In case the hull is raised the piston will sink relative to the cylinder, as it will remain in absolute rest, so that a certain quantity of steam will be pressed back out of the cylinder into a reservoir or the like connected with the same. In case the hull sinks the piston will also remain in its absolute rest, but will be raised in its position relative to the hull by being raised in the cylinder. The absolute movement of the cabin, saloon, or the like is therefore theoretically perfectly done away with. In practice small movements will always arise by friction or the like; but these movements will always be veryslow and soft and will not have any bad effects upon the passengers. In order to make this idea more clear, it must be found out why the up-and-down motion of the ship has a bad effect upon the passengers. This bad effect results from the passenger feeling the mass effect of his own body during the up-anddo\vn motion of the ship. In case the body of the passenger is supported by a body which in a certain way is held in suspension by the air or is carried by a weightless fluidum, these mass effects cannot occur, as this weightless fluidum, which in this case must be moved instead of the body of the passenger, cannot cause any masseifects upon this body on account of the fluidum being weightless.

The rolling and pitching movement of the hull can be easily dispensed with in one of the well-known manners by suspending the cabin so as to allow a free swinging of the same within the ship-hull. This suspending of the cabin has a very favorable effect upon the arrangement described above, for it will be clear that in case the up-and-down-moving piston carrying the weight of the cabin being oscillated by the rolling or pitching of the shiphull, so as to move sometimes in an inclined direction, the effect of the weight upon the piston would be greatly diminished and the raising of the piston and of the cabin would easily go too far. It will be clear that not only the cabin can be suspended, but the same effect will be attained by suspending the cylinder or the piston. The cabin can be suspended by means of an axle situated in the longitudinal axis of the hall, in which case the effect of the rolling movement of the hull is dispensed with, but can be at the same time suspended by means of a cross-axle, thereby avoiding also the effect of the pitching movement. It will be understood that any other kind of joints can be used for suspending the cabin-as, for instance, a cardanic joint or the like. In order to avoid or reduce the small swinging movements always taking place, brakemechanisms,such asatmospheric brakes, can be provided.

It will be clear that instead of steam, gases (as air, carbonic acid, or the like) may be used for supporting the piston.

In the accompanying drawings, 0, Figs. 1 and 2, shows a cabin arranged according to my new invention, in which cabin the effect of the up-and-down movement of the whole ship-hull and of the rolling movement of the same is avoided. The cabin 0, in which seats, beds, or the like may be provided, is fixed to the piston-rod 8, provided on its lower end with the piston 70. The piston it is situated in the cylinder Z, to which two steam-pipes (Z and Z are connected. The pipe (Z leads to a reservoir r, in which a certain pressure -of, for instance, ten atmospheres-can always be maintained. The pipe Z leads to a boiler, which is not shown in the drawings, in which boiler a higher pressure than ten atmospheres is contained. The pressure in the reservoir 1' must be so high that the piston k is able to support the whole cabin, with everything con tained in the same. The undulations in the weight of the cabin can be balanced by increasing or diminishing the pressure in the reservoir 9', which balancing can be either effected by hand or automatically. In order to overcome the downward movement of the cabins when the load is suddenly increased, means are provided for counteracting the pressure in the cylinder in accordance with the movements of the cabins. A cock 0 is provided in the pipe Z, which cock is provided witha lever 0*. This lever c is held in the position shown in the drawings bymeans of a spiral spring 0 If the cabin 0 sinks downward, it pushes against the upper end of the lever 0*, and consequently opens the cock 0 thereby allowing the air or steam of higher pressure to enter into the cylinder. The lcylinder Z is fixed to a foundation-plate b, to which the rails Z) are attached,'the upper ends of which rails are connected by means of the rail Z so as to form a frame. To the rails Z Z of this frame horizontal tenons 26 are fixed, which are journaled in bearings g, rigidly connected at c to the ship. In order to avoid a swinging of the cabinroom 0 relative to the frame, guide-pieces f are provided, which slide along the rails Z).

The apparatus can just as well be used for cabins, saloons, single seats, benches, and the like without changing the construction of the apparatus. In case the apparatus is to be used only for single seats it is advantageously suspended by means of chains, ropes, or the like in order to allow a free swinging of the apparatus in all directions.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the piston Z0 is fixed to the swinging frame, whereas the cabin 0 is fixed to the cylinder Z. The efi'ect of this modification is the same as the effect of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In an apparatus for preventing seasickness, the combination of a cylinder, a piston fitted into the cylinder, means for allowing a swinging of the same around an axle, seats or cabins fixed to that part of the combination which is not firmly attached to the shipbody, a reservoir connected to the cylinder and means for automatically counteracting the pressure in the cylinder in accordance with the movements of the cabins, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus for preventing seasickness, the combination of a cylinder, a frame in which the cylinder is fixed, means for allowing a swinging of this frame, a piston situated in the cylinder, a reservoir connected to the cylinder, seats or cabins fixed to the piston and sliding in the frame, means for automatically counteracting the pressure in the cylinder in accordance with the movements of the cabins, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILI-IELM SCHMIDT. WVitnesses:

WoLDnuAR HAnrT, HENRY HAsPER. 

